Episode 2: Bloody Pearl

It was conventional British colonial policy to look for minorities in colonised territories to use them where possible as the administrative class. Minorities, like the Tamils in Sri Lanka, tended to be more amenable to be used in this fashion because at times this strengthened their position in society. Following Sri Lanka’s independence from the British, the majority Sinhalese ethnic group take power. Racial tensions escalate, erupting in a war in 1983, with government sanctioned troops killing thousands of Tamil civilians as they attempt to suppress the Tamil Tiger movement. Priya and Nades are caught in the middle of it.

But what role does Australia play in this civil war? And Australia says things are better since the war ended in 2009, but what is it actually like for the people living there?